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Central Pa. Regional Career Fair brings together students, employers

May 7, 2010

Central Pa. Regional Career Fair brings together students, employers

Unemployment in central Pennsylvania is beginning to slow, and companies are hiring again. Centre County’s unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 percent in March, while nearby Huntingdon County’s rate dropped .6 percent to 12.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help Penn State adult learners who live in the region, as well as University alumni and students, and local residents to learn more about job opportunities, Penn State Career Services and Penn State Continuing Education are hosting the third annual Central Pennsylvania Regional Career Fair from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

“The job market in central Pennsylvania is similar to the job market in the rest of the country,” said Chris MacGill, associate director of Career Services at Penn State.

But, she said, there is some good news.

“Companies drilling for natural gas have created a flurry of jobs, and there are opportunities in the health care area.”

Elizabeth Lasher, Penn State Continuing Education career counselor, said employers coming to the career fair also are looking to fill positions in the areas of information sciences and technology, business, management, corrections, the financial industry and manufacturing.

The Central Pennsylvania Regional Career Fair is “the only opportunity in our area where job seekers can meet with a variety of prospective employers looking to fill positions requiring specialized skills, all under one roof,” Lasher said.

For employers, the event provides a way to showcase what they do and to recruit job seekers who already live in the region.

MacGill advised job seekers who are planning to attend the career fair “to be flexible and creative in the short term, until the job market opens up. Consider taking a job you may be overqualified for or one that is your second choice, just to get into the field you are interested in. And keep active in professional networking.”

“Regardless of your current employment situation, it is always good to keep on top of who is hiring and what types of opportunities are available," Lasher said. "In this competitive job market, job-seekers need to know their skills, be confident in what they can offer an employer and have a good résumé that reflects the skills and qualifications that an employer is seeking.”

The Central Pennsylvania Regional Career Fair website offers additional advice on preparing for the event, and can be found at http://www.fairs.sa.psu.edu/CentralPA/. Employers also are invited to a professional development lunch prior to the event on the topic “Social Networking at Work: Practices, Policies and Privacy.”

For more information, visit the Web address above, call Penn State Continuing Education at 814-865-3443 or 800-228-1627, or send an e-mail to pacareerfair@psu.edu.

Penn State Continuing Education offers a venue for adults to return to the classroom. Continuing Education reaches more than 30,000 adult learners annually at Penn State campuses statewide. The unit also serves more than 220,000 Pennsylvania youth each year through summer academic and sport camps and other programs at Penn State campuses. Continuing Education is comprised of Conferences, Continuing Education at all Penn State campuses, Management Development Programs and Services, and Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. For more information, visit http://ceup.psu.edu/ online.

Penn State Career Services offers comprehensive services to all students including career counseling and planning, outreach programming, recruiting and employer services and a wide range of other resources. For more information about this Division of Student Affairs unit, visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/ online.